It is inconvenient and wasteful for a user to have to wait while an output devices, such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP) is warming before it can be used. The wait time is wasteful of individual resources, as the wait time is essentially down-time, which could be otherwise put to productive use. For example, if a user schedules a meeting and is aware that the participants will need copies of various materials that will be distributed at the meeting, the user can insure that a predetermined MFP will be warmed and ready to function a few minutes before the meeting. Alternatively, the user can schedule standing “warming times” with a MFP, that may correspond to standing meetings on the user's outlook calendar.
The wait-time problem is solved in the prior art, at least in part, by allowing an administrator of an MFP to modify the power save mode on the MFP. For example, the MFP can be set to remain active, i.e., not power off, even if it is not in use, eliminating the need for a warming cycle. Alternatively an MFP user can send a “warm-up” command to the MFP, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,930,551, to Nakazato et al., granted Jul. 27, 1999, for Printing system alleviating timing problems due to warm-up and paper outage, describes a printing system alleviating timing problems due to warm-up and paper outage. According to a second aspect of the invention, before starting to prepare the data for the first page, the host computer sends the MFP a warm-up command, causing the MFP to commence preparations for printing. This warm-up command however is sent just prior to printing and is not scheduled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,995 to Wiklof et al., granted Feb. 3, 1998, for Thermal printhead with enhanced remote voltage sense capability, describes a thermal printhead which is formed on a substrate. Plural of thermal print elements in the thermal printhead are formed in a linear array, wherein each of the plural thermal print elements is respectively connected to a plurality of common electrode traces and a plurality of ground electrode traces. The common electrode traces are switchably connected to a single common electrode and the ground electrode traces are connected to a single ground electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,154 to Corrigan, granted May 15, 2001, for Thermal ink jet print head and temperature control apparatus and method, describes a thermal ink jet print head with numerous firing elements on a die, and a temperature sensor on the die with a sensor voltage output proportional to a sensed temperature. A digital to analog converter has a digital input and an output voltage proportional to the value of a digital word received by the digital input, and a comparator has a first input connected to the sensor voltage output and a second input connected to the converter voltage output.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,582 to Laharaty et al., granted May 21, 2002, for Method for reducing thermal aging in an ink jet print head, describes a technique for reducing thermal aging in an ink jet print head while avoiding significant warm-up times. The method uses multiple print head standby temperatures to reduce the effects of thermal aging over time. The ink for the printer is a phase change ink. The ink jet printer has a print head, the print head printing at a first print temperature and the print head standing by a different second standby temperature lower than the first print temperature. The ink is ejected from the print head by applying a voltage to a transducer. The method includes monitoring the time the printhead is at the second standby temperature, calculating a thermal aging period for the print head at the standby temperature, and at a predetermined value for the thermal aging period, increasing the voltage applied to the transducer when ink is ejected, the voltage being increased at a predetermined rate.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 20020085053 to Kao et al., granted Jul. 4, 2002, for Method and apparatus for use in ink jet printing for reducing thermal accumulation during inkjet printing, describes a method and apparatus for use in inkjet printing. The apparatus includes a memory, a heat accumulation calculation device, and an image separating device. The memory is used to store a heat weighting look-up table. When data representative of the image is fed into the heat accumulation calculation device, a heat weighting for the image can be calculated according to the heat weighting look-up table, which can be used to determine the degree of heat accumulation during printing. The image separating device then outputs pieces of image data representing sub-images according to the heat weighting for the image. Finally, the image is formed by printing the sub-images successively according to the pieces of image data. In addition, for some regions where serious heat accumulation is predicted, the densities of the pixels to be printed within the regions can be adjusted to reduce the degrading effect on the printing quality due to the heat accumulation during printing.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 20020085056 to Ylitalo, granted Jul. 4, 2002, for Method and apparatus for selection of inkjet printing parameters, describes Methods and apparatus for inkjet printing include automated techniques for selecting and/or adjusting printing parameters. The techniques include methods for altering test pattern images received on a substrate for assessing certain characteristics, such as adhesion of a particular ink to a particular substrate. A computer selects certain printing parameters based on an assessment of the altered test pattern images.